New radar app for Droid

[joe.jurecka]

Aside from what's already on the feature queue (pykl3radar.com/queue.php) What kinds of other functionality (other than more radar products) do you think would be useful. Warning polygons, Spotter Network users, etc. are already high on my list. Still working on the new download engine for radar data, but it's coming along nicely. Also, I'd assume that folks would rather have "SOME" SRM velocity (4 bit) data rather than just wait for me to have a method for the user to define storm motion for 8 bit SRM. If there is enough interest in the 4 bit data, I can probably squeeze that in the next release too. And how much interest is there in in dual pole? Admittedly, unless one likes to chase hail, KDP/CC/ZDR/HC might not be off a whole lot of use to most, but I'd like to get some opinions. Let the discussion begin!

Joe

 

[rdale]

Support for lightning data from AH is high on my list, and if there is a way to incorporate simple station plots using his placefiles that would be neat.

 

[joe.jurecka]

Yeah, I didn't mention it, but I would very much like to do station plots too. Thanks for bringing that up. AH products are also on my list. Granted, it isn't a whole lot of use for chasing, but not everyone is a chaser. For chasing, total lightning (+LDAR/LMA) are much more useful.

 

[Jeremy Den Hartog]

Just a simple idea:

- Since users will be using our phones already for radar (although I will also be using GRLevel3 ), it would be nice to have a 'Call NWS' button (or something similar) for the area that you are in to make reports and communicate with the local NWS. I realize that Spotter Network can be used for this but there will be times when directly calling the NWS would probably be better.

 

[rdale]

I would shy away from the phone idea... Remember this is an open app on the market, so many ordinary people will be downloading it. Do we want to provide them the spotter info call number automatically? I don't think so, because I could easily see that getting abused, intentionally or not. At least now the public has to do a search for that number - handing it to them seems to open up a can of potential worms.

 

[Rob H]

Jeremy, the spotter network page that opens up has the local NWS number at the top of the screen - dunno if that will work for you or not.

I'd love to see: Landscape mode, city names, METARs, SN/LSR reports (you'd basically have to implement placefiles for these last two), and the ability to use Allisonhouse/others for the L3 feed. It's not feasible to chase with the public NOAA feed only. Roads (like the Tiger shapefiles) would be awesome, but I understand the memory constraints.

I do like a good hail storm in the absence of a tornado-producer, so I would be interested in the dual-pol products if they actually provided more useful information than POH/POSH. It sounded like dual-pol can help better identify and estimate the size of hail, which would be really nice. I know a few chases I've been on, I've cored storms with 2.25" indicated hail, and all I saw were a few pea-sized pieces falling.

 

[rdale]

Robert - don't forget his features page and discussion list

Landscape and city names and roads samples are in there now.

 

[Jeremy Den Hartog]

I would shy away from the phone idea... Remember this is an open app on the market, so many ordinary people will be downloading it. Do we want to provide them the spotter info call number automatically? I don't think so, because I could easily see that getting abused, intentionally or not. At least now the public has to do a search for that number - handing it to them seems to open up a can of potential worms.

Yeah, thats true I guess - good point

 

[Scotty Mitchell]

I downloaded the program and update and love it. I decided to use my phone for radar when I'm alone and bring the laptop when one of my kids is with me. Now I don't know if I'm using the right term but can you fix it so the phone doesn't sleep when I have your program on. I'm really new to the whole smartphone thing but I'm learning. I accually bought my LG Vortex because of your and Mike Brady's programs.

Thanks,Scotty

 

[joe.jurecka]

That feature is already coded into the next version!
Joe

 

[Dave Rennie]

Is it just my Droid 2, or doesn't the PYKL3 radar display rotate to horizontal when the phone is turned? If that limitation applies to all phones, I would like to suggest it. The auto mount for my phone holds the phone horizontally, so I'm left with using the My-Cast display, which rotates.

 

[Rob H]

Is it just my Droid 2, or doesn't the PYKL3 radar display rotate to horizontal when the phone is turned? If that limitation applies to all phones, I would like to suggest it. The auto mount for my phone holds the phone horizontally, so I'm left with using the My-Cast display, which rotates.

Landscape mode is mentioned as "Likely in next release" on his development queue page, so it is not currently implemented yet.

Robert - don't forget his features page and discussion list

Landscape and city names and roads samples are in there now.

Yep - only reason I mentioned some of those "dupes" was to show that I was interested in them and think they'd be great additions. Sorry, it's probably an instinct from my work where the larger number of customers that ask for a software feature, the more likely we are to rate it higher on our priority list

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Is it just my Droid 2, or doesn't the PYKL3 radar display rotate to horizontal when the phone is turned? If that limitation applies to all phones, I would like to suggest it. The auto mount for my phone holds the phone horizontally, so I'm left with using the My-Cast display, which rotates.

Same thing on my Droid X--we're awaiting that adjustment.

 

[joe.jurecka]

The code to support the option of orientation in the next version is already there. It works fine on the emulator and on my phone, but I'm always hesitant to say features are committed until the beta testers get a hold of it. It will be a hard selection (you'll chose portrait or landscape) in the preferences and it will stick until you go to preferences and choose the other orientation. Personally, I dislike the auto-orientation changes on applications as it always does it when one least desires it. But, the ability to choose is certainly worthwhile.

I wouldn't have gone through the trouble if I were writing it solely for me, but because so many people wanted that capability, I added it. That can be said for many things actually, but that's how this thing evolves. Ya'll talk, I listen and implement as I can. It helps makes the program the best it can be.

Have had some slow progress the past few days because of ftp timestamp issues which I think I finally have resolved. All work now is on the newer file acquisition service which handles the logic to pull the right files down for looping. At this point, I don't know of anything that will prevent the addition of looping in the next release, but I haven't anticipated a lot of things that have caused this release to take a month to write...so far. Funny how things pop up when writing for a new platform. Of course, looping isn't the only new addition either
Joe

 

[rdale]

Yep - only reason I mentioned some of those "dupes" was to show that I was interested in them and think they'd be great additions. Sorry, it's probably an instinct from my work where the larger number of customers that ask for a software feature, the more likely we are to rate it higher on our priority list

I meant that they are already in the dev release which he posted snapshots from in the beta forum...